Jim Fitzpatricks pre-Celtic Mythology

If, like a lot of Irish people, you . thought that the Celts were the earliest inhabitants of Ireland, stand corrected. The earliest recorded inn. habitants of Ireland were the Tuaith De Danann. A simple mistake and one which JimFitzpatrick spends most of his working time and energy trying to rectify. For the last ten years now, Fitzzpatrick has 'been researching and illustratting their history and has produced one volume of that work, called "The Book Or-Conquests". That volume will be folllowed by two others, "The Silver Arm" and "The Son of the Sun". For Fitzzpatrick, this historical and archaeological pursuit goes back to his childhood.

Although he was brought up in Dublin, Fitzpatrick's parents came from Clare. There the tales of an old seanachai, mainly about the Daoine Sidhe (the Fairy , Folk), fired his irnagiantion, The interest grew into an ability to write and illustrate his own fairy tales and that in turn led him to read everything he could find on the subject of the aboriginal Irish. He feels personally involved with the Tuaith De Danann, since there are many signs of their activity in his own ancestral county.

Just in the manner that the Tain resumed and combined all the various' Cuchulain myths and stories, so Fitzzpatrick has tried to provide some sort of overview of the various mythologies relatting to the Tuatha De Danann in his "Book Of Conquests". He admits that he has had to use poetic licence at many points of the various stories, but feels that an invented story is better than no story.

Fitzpatrick is often astounded at the lack of interest shown by the present day .lrish in their own background and roots. As part of an endeavour to keep awareeness of our pre-Celtic heritage alive, he spends time every hear, lecturing on aspects of Celtic and pre-Celtic mythoology.

Although his work takes its direct inspiration from the stories he is illustratting, there are obvious undertones of (dare one say it) Celtic art in both the detail and the conception of some of his work. The most obvious example being the highly decorated border embellishments on many of his paintings, which, superficially at least, echo the decorative border work on some of the great Celtic manuscripts such as the Book of Kells.

There is also in the day-glo boldness of both colour and images an echo of the happy days of flowers and naivety, of acid art and searing new visions of better worlds. Only' in this case the worlds are not so much better since the tales are nearly all of battles, bloodshed and violence and the images are overtly dramatic. Even where a beautiful woman is found bathing, she is not a true love, rather she is a true witch.

Fitzpatrick's researches have produced a novel theory concerning the North of Ireland. It appears that the aboriginal inhabitants of the North were called the Cruitin. These poor innocent folks were driven out of Ireland into Scotland by various Southern tribes. In Scotland the Cruitin spent most of their time fighting with the Celtic tribes. It is believed that the Cruitin never properly integrated with the Scottish Celts and that the Cruitin are therefore the ancestors of the Scottish Presbyterians, many of whom were planted in Ulster during the Elizabethan plantations. So, the drift is that the Cruitin (Prods) were there before the Celts (Catholics). Fitzpatrick does conncede that some of the documentation for this theory is tenuous ..

Currently available in the shops is a Jim Fitzpatrick portfolio of signed prints taken from the "Book Of Conquests", price £7.95. Published by his own publishhing company, De Danann Press, the porttfolio is not a limited edition series.